Today, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), released the Agency’s third annual letter discussing ending extreme poverty and USAID’s “New Model” for development.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah will deliver remarks and release USAID’s progress report on its signature reform initiative USAID Forward Wednesday March 20th at an event co-hosted by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Center for American Progress (CAP). At the event, Administrator Shah will deliver remarks and participate in a discussion with Danielle Pletka of AEI and John Norris of CAP.

The U.S. Agency for International Development will hold its annual public meeting of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) at The Ronald Regan Building from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 14. Administrator Shah will make opening remarks, followed by a moderated panel discussions among USAID leadership and ACVFA members. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a three-year elections and political processes support program in Burma to assist the country in the run-up to general elections slated for 2015.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Kiawah Trust of U.K., and Dasra, India’s leading strategic philanthropy foundation, launched a new $14 million partnership to address the healthcare needs of adolescent girls, mothers, newborns, and children in India. The announcement was made at the Dasra Philanthropy Week 2013 in Mumbai.

The Government of India and the Government of the United States , through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), today renewed their commitment to end all preventable child deaths and to strengthen India’s Call to Action on Child Survival and Development.

Today, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah announced a new collaboration with Cisco, a leading networking and communications firm, to set up two Cisco Networking Academies in Burma. This initiative will provide emerging information and communications technology (ICT) skills training and increase the number of job-ready graduates for the country’s ICT sector.

Despite a global effort to prevent atrocities including genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass rape, millions remain at risk. In an effort to combat future atrocities, today the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Humanity United launched the second and final round of the Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention and competition, an innovative approach to developing new ways to combat and prevent the worst human rights violations.

Today, the National Institutes of Health-funded Microbicide Trials Network presented final results from the VOICE HIV prevention clinical trial at the 20th Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta. The trial has been evaluating two antiretroviral (ARV)-based approaches for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV in women – daily use of one of two different ARV tablets or of a vaginal gel. While the products were found to be safe, it appears that most participants did not use the products daily, as recommended. The U.S. Agency for International Development, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, contributed support for the VOICE trial through the technical support and vaginal gel provided by one of our partners, CONRAD.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) convened a group of U.S. representatives from information and communication technology (ICT) industry leaders Cisco, Google, HP, Intel, and Microsoft in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw, Burma. The week-long visit explored a range of joint opportunities for accelerating affordable access to the Internet, strengthening transparent and efficient government, and bolstering skills building.

Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) received the Best Government Policy for Mobile Development award at GSMA's Mobile World Congress 2013. The Agency's work to increase the use of mobile services to empower women was recognized by the mobile industry’s largest trade association at its annual event, which attracts over 70,000 people.

Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with partners Qtel Group and AusAID, announced the winners of the GSMA mWomen Design Challenge, which aims to redefine the smartphone user experience for resource-poor women in emerging markets.

Winners of GSMA mWomen Design Challenge to be Announced; New Study on Women and Mobile Financial Services

On February 26, Dr. Maura O'Neill, Chief Innovation Officer, for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will participate in a panel discussion on women’s inclusion in mobile financial services, during the GSMA mWomen Seminar at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Spain.

Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Government of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), announced the establishment of the USAID/DFID Humanitarian Innovation Initiative to invest in cost-effective innovations to humanitarian challenges.

On February 16, Dr. Alex Dehgan, Science and Technology Adviser to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and Director of the USAID Office of Science and Technology, will participate in a panel discussion, Bridging the Gap Between Global Environmental Change Research and Development, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston.

Today the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partner Humanity United announce the first-round winners of the Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention – a technology competition enlisting problem solvers from around the world in support of the White House’s effort to design new tools to prevent mass atrocities.

Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement Research (PEER) Science program and National Instruments (NI) announced a unique public-private partnership. The organizations are partnering to bring cutting-edge scientific equipment, training and support to approximately 100 research projects with commercial promise and demonstrated long-term development impact in more than 80 countries over the next five years. This partnership is the first step in USAID PEER’s effort to leverage the private sector in support of scientists in developing countries.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and five Salvadorian foundations today announced a partnership to combat citizen insecurity and strengthen municipal responses to crime and violence in 50 dangerous communities in El Salvador. This public-private partnership is the largest in USAID history with local partners and ever in Latin America.

Today, Rebecca Black was sworn in as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director for Cambodia. Assistant Administrator for Asia Nisha Biswal presided over the ceremony and USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah administered the oath of office to Black.